Day one of the internships

We had an awesome first day of mapping projects today here in Monteverde. Our three students will be  working hard for the next four weeks to collect geospatial data and produce high quality maps and databases for conservation organizations here in Monteverde. We have one invasive species project, one natural forest spring project, and one reforestation project. Today we visited some of the field sites and taught the students how to use a GPS and hand-draw observation maps to collect the data they’ll need. The image above is a scan of one observation map that we are having each of the students do to collect notes in the field. Combined with GPS points and aerial imagery, these observation maps will be used to document and create an organized database and clear visuals. The three students we are supervising are from universities across the United States where they focus their studies on environmental related fields. They are coming to these internships with little to no prior experience with GIS/GPS but are eager to jump right in. We are excited to get them to be proficient in GPS and GIS as soon as possible. It has been a busy and exciting first day.